The Evil of the Eastern Plains
by Dark Knight4
Summary: An evil army rises up in the east and the good beasts must stop it.


Disclaimer-I don't own Redwall.   
  
Conquest of Strikegutt   
  
  
Strikegutt the ferret warlord stood on a hill, overlooking his vast horde. One hundred score of vermin were his to command. It had not always been so great. Many seasons of raids on other hordes he had led. Every time he gathered the survivors and added them to his number. All the beasts in the eastern plains had come to fear the name of Strikegutt!   
The evil ferret smiled wickedly. His next prey lay hiding just below the rise that lay ahead of his army. Only this was no ordinary horde, it was the horde of Ironheart; the weasel leader of Strikegutt's last opposing army. His numbers were great, but it would add to Strikegutt's army.   
Strikegutt drew his curved sword. The warlord favored this sword. Of all the weapons he had encountered, he admired this one the most. It had a curved body with a hook on the very tip. That tip had gorged many a beast. The ferret lord swung the sword once. Almost immediately his five Captains appeared at his side. Strikegutt issued them their orders.   
"Spitback, take twoscore beasts and circle right around the rise." The stoat captain named Spitback sped off to do Strikegutt's bidding. "Scraphead, take the same number and circle left." Turning to the last three of his captains, he told them his plans. " The rest of you, take the remainder of the horde and split them into three groups. Each of you will command a group. Take them back behind this hill and wait there for my signal. Once you see it, charge over the hill." A raccoon named Krakhead questioned this.   
"Lord, why not just charge right over the rise?" he asked. Strikegutt glared at the bold captain, then smiled at him. Waving of his hand, the other two captains stepped back. With a thrust of his sword, the warlord ran the raccoon through. Then he turned to the remaining two captains.   
"Slight change. Split into two groups." His directions given, Strikegutt walked off to do his piece of the plot. The two captains looked at each other, then called the rest of the horde to them.   
  
Iornheart the weasel lord twitched nervously. Strikegutt had not charged over the rise as he had expected him to. The ferret was clever; Iornheart knew he was preparing to strike a different way then he had thought. He needed to know what Strikegutt was doing in order to have a proper defense.   
"Halfneck." Ironheart called. A stoat came at attention.   
"Yes, sir?"   
"Sent Jackdown the fox up to the rise to see what is going on."   
"Yes, sir!" Ironheart smiled. He had picked Jackdown because he was one of the hordebeasts that was terrified easily. If he were killed, Iornheart would hear his scream. He listened. There was no outcry. Jackdown came up to his commander.   
"Strikegutts' just standing there. I can't see any other beast out there."   
"That's impossible!" Ironheart cried, "He has a hundred score vermin!"   
"Aye, sir, but I can't see a one of them." Jackdown said, slowly backing away from Iornheart. The weasel was unpredictable when angry.   
"I must see this myself." Ironheart said, half to himself. Drawing is saber, the weasel walked up to the edge of the rise. Looking down, he saw Strikegutt. There seemed to be no one else. But Ironheart knew better.   
"Hail, Ironheart!" Strikegutt called.   
"Hail, Strikegutt!" Ironheart answered, "Why have you come?"   
"To make peaceful negotiations. We should combine forces."   
"Ha!" Ironheart laughed. "Only combining we will do is when I destroy you and take your army!"   
"We will see." Strikegutt said. "In the meantime we might as well talk peace."   
"Throw down your weapon and I will consider it." Ironheart said. Strikegutt smiled. Drawing his hooked sword, he raised his hand above his head. With and even wickeder smile, he dropped his sword.   
With a roar, the two groups that had gone around behind the enemy charged from behind. Panicking, Ironheart ran down the rise toward Strikegutt. The ferret picked up his blade and swung it above his head three times. The rest of the horde came charging over the hill behind Strikegutt. Raged, Ironheart ran full speed at Strikegutt. Sidestepping at the last second, Strikegutt tripped his foe neatly. Ironheart fell face down in the dirt. Strikegutt stood over the weasel, smiling. Then, raising his sword above his head, he slew Ironheart with a single swipe. Seeing their leader slain, the rest of Ironheart's horde surrendered. Turning to his captains, Strikegutt gave them their instructions.   
"Gather up all the bodies. Put them in a pile. We'll have a bonfire tonight."   
  
Strtikegutt stood looking at his huge fire of flesh. Drawing his sword, he swung it once. Four captains came running to him.   
"How many losses of our beasts?" he asked. Spitback shrugged.   
"Three hordebeasts, and Krakhead, whom you slew."   
"And how many vermin gained?"   
"Threescore vermin." Scraphead replied. Strikegutt smiled and nodded his approval. Waving his hand, the captains withdrew from his presence. He turned back to the fire. But he felt troubled. Even in his victory, he felt empty. He had conquered all the eastern plains. He needed more. Then he smiled. No, there was one more thing in the east that he had not conquered. The Castle Verten, castle of the foxes!   
  
The horde of Strikegutt trudged endlessly northeast to the castle of the foxes. Some were joyous over their victory over Ironheart, and were excited to conquer the castle. But some were not so happy.   
"Walking all day and all night," a skunk named Fastspray whined. "My poor paws are aching!"   
"Aye, messmate, we never had to walk as much in Ironheart's horde!" a rat agreed.   
"Silence," a stoat whispered, "or you'll be killed!" But it was too late. Pushing his way through the crowd, Captain Halftooth, an opossum, came up to the whining skunk.   
"Don't like walking, eh?" The captain sneered. Most creatures would have remained quiet, but Fastspray was new to Strikegutt's horde.   
"Aye, my feet just might fall off!" he said, thinking it was a big joke. Halftooth smiled.   
"Why don't you just lay down then?" Snapping his whip, the snakehide wrapped itself around the poor skunk's ankles. Pulling back on the whip sharply, Fastspray fell on his back, slamming his neck on a rock, breaking it. Halftooth stood over the skunk for a moment, then walked off to report to Strikegutt. The horde moved on toward Verten.   
So was the cruelty of Halftooth, the Slave Driver!   
  
Strikegutt looked at the black silhouette of Castle Verten. His eyes gleamed with hatred. He thought back to the time when he served under the lord of that castle...   
  
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Strikegutt's father, Jousthead, was dying. This was not a bad thing for Strikegutt; the leadership of the horde always went from father to son. The young ferret was excited of being the lord over all these vermin. Such power! He could do anything! Wanting to know the exact moment his father died, he went to the ferret lord's tent.   
Inside Strikegutt found the fox captain Urrilaung, a fox that had been growing in popularity in the horde. With him were a stoat named Glugpinch and a weasel named Raghead, Urrilaung's most trusted companions. This was a shocking thing; only the son of the lord could enter the tent of the lord!   
"Why are you here?" Strikegutt spat at the fox.   
"I am to be the new warlord over the horde." Urrilaung sneered at the shocked ferret. "The horde wishes it."   
"Only the son of the warlord can become the lord. It is custom."   
"So it is time to change custom." He said. "And you don't fit into the picture. The fox nodded to his henchmen. They walked up to Strikegutt and bound his paws with large stones. Carrying him out to the outskirts of the camp, they left him for dead as the horde moved on the next day. Buzzards pecked at his body as he was weighted to the ground, unable to move. Eventually, against the odds, he tore through the bonds and was free. But he never forgot the fox.   
  
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Strikegutt shrugged aside the memory. The time had come to reunite with the fox. Strikegutt drew his sword and swung it. The four captains came running to him.   
"Go through the horde and gather up all the silver. Earrings, teeth, jewelry, anything. Melt it all in a large pot. Mold the metal into hooks. Attach the hooks to arrows and tie rope to the end of the shaft. These will be useful in our raid of the castle. They will not damage the wall."   
"Sir, why does it matter if we damage the wall?" Halftooth asked. Strikegutt's eyes gleamed ferociously. But Halftooth knew his commander; he would live.   
"Because I intend to keep the castle; and a fortress without walls is no use to me." Strikegutt said, then stalked off. Halftooth turned to his fellow captains.   
"Alright, mates, hop to it!"   
Inside Castle Verten, the fox lord Urrilaung the Mighty sat nervously in his golden throne. He had always had a type of insight; he could tell when danger was coming. He had that feeling now. But he didn't know where it could possibly be coming from. He had all the eastern plains under his power. No, he thought, not all. That raider horde, they must be coming here! Urrilaung rang a small bell. The stoat Glugpinch came to his aid.   
"What do you wish, sire?" he asked.   
"Place double guards on the castle battlements. We will be having company." The fox said. Glugpinch went out to foe-fill his duty. Urrilaung sat back in his throne. Whoever was coming, he would be ready for them. Suddenly, the double doors of the throne room burst open. The army of Strikegutt poured in. They had Glugpinch between them, holding him as a prisoner.   
"They had climbed the walls with hooks, lord," the stoat blubbered, "there were too many of them!"   
"Yes, there were, weren't there?" Strikegutt sneered. Turning to the shocked fox lord, he said, "Don't remember me? I'm surprised. I would think you would remember the name of the ferret you left for dead after you took control of my army!" The answer dawned on Urrilaung.   
"Strikegutt!" The warlord just smiled. Flicking his wrist, Strikegutt threw his hooked sword. It buried itself into Urrilaung's neck, snapping it. Retrieving his sword, he turned to Glugpinch. The stoat did not notice him; he continued to stare at the dead fox. Strikegutt nodded to Halftooth. The whip of the slave driver hit Glugpinch on the head, shattering his skull.   
"There is one more. One more I need to deal with. The one called Raghead." Strikegutt said.   
"He is dead." A slave rat said. "Urrilaung killed him about a season ago."   
"Good." Strikegutt smiled. "Halftooth, you will keep the vermin in this castle and run it for me in my absence."   
"Lord Strikegutt, why not run it yourself?" the opossum asked.   
"Lord who shut themselves in castles grow fat and lazy." The ferret snapped, his paw staying near his sword. "You saw Urrilaung; he was off guard. I will not be that way." Strikegutt relaxed a fraction. "Halftooth, I have a token to show you rule this place. Reaching into his cloak, he pulled a golden crown. The sides were lined with rubies, and in the center was a giant pink peal. Halftooth took the crown, staring at it.   
"Thank you, lord, its beautiful," he mumbled. He placed it on his head and sat in the throne. Strikegutt smiled, and walked out into the hall. A weasel named Nagrun, Strikegutt's agent in Verten, was waiting for him.   
"If Halftooth does not obey my law, kill him." The ferret said simply. Nagrun nodded. Strikegutt walked out into the courtyard of the castle. Buildings had never seemed inviting to him. He preferred the open air to the stuffy humidity of a throne room. Drawing his sword, Strikegutt waved it above his head. The three captains came to him. He frowned.   
"You there!" he shouted at a hordebeast.   
"Who, me, sire?" the rat named Fraghorn asked.   
"Yes, you!" Strikegutt yelled. "Get over here!" Fraghorn came running. "I have noticed you before." The ferret said. "Your name is Fraghorn, right?" The rat nodded dumbly. "How long have you been in my horde, Fraghorn?" Strikegutt asked.   
"More seasons than can be counted, sire." Fraghorn answered.   
"Good! I appoint you to be my new captain, along with these beasts." Then he turned and spoke to all of them. "We are leaving." He said, and walked away. The captains dispersed, yelling orders to the hordebeasts.   
Strikegutt stood alone in his tent about fifty miles away from Castle Verten. Even though he had an agent inside the castle, he had a backup. He always did. Strikegutt reached into his cloak and drew out a large pink pearl, exactly like the one in the crown he had given to Halftooth. He stared into it, and a picture of the throne room appeared in the ball. This was Strikegutt's backup; he could observe everything in the castle through Halftooth's crown. The ferret heard footsteps outside his tent. In a flash, the pearl was hidden in his cloak again. Spitback entered into the warlord's tent.   
"What is it?" Strikegutt snapped.   
"The scouts have reported a small army of gentlebeasts marching this way." The stoat captain said. Strikegutt smiled.   
"Good, something to test the horde on." The ferret gave instructions to the captain. "Break camp and head on. Make it seem like we don't notice them. Arm everybeast, and prepare to charge on my signal." Spitback went out to tell the horde of his plans. Strikegutt smiled wickedly. Gentlebeasts were always foolish. This was going to be easy...   
  
Harron the watchmouse stood on the very top of the hill. The vermin army was breaking camp. This startled the mouse; he thought that they would have charged. That's what all the vermin hordes in the north did. But, as Grgono the Grinder had told him, the evil in the east was clever, it knew tactics. Harron scurried off to tell the badger what he had seen.   
"They are breaking camp, you say?" The badger named Grgono asked.   
"Aye, sir, they are packing their bags and leaving." Harron answered.   
"They must have seen us," a young shrew said, "and got frightened out of here!" Grgono glared at the bold shrew. The young one shrank back to the corner of the tent. The badger turned back to the watchmouse.   
"They must be trying to fool us into making a wrong move." He said. "Did you see someone that looked like he was in charge?"   
"Well, there was a ferret with a hooked sword that all the vermin seemed to crowd around and take orders from." Grgono's eyes got wide then turned to slits. He grabbed a bow and a quiver of arrows and a huge battleaxe, he strode out of the tent before anybeast could stop him.   
Jackdown the fox stood moodily on the edge of the camp facing their opposing army. He used to be a valuable spy in Ironheart's horde; now, in Strikegutt's army, he was reduced to guard duty. In the corner of his eye he saw Spitback the stoat captain walking toward him. The fox straightened to attention. But before Spitback could breathe a word, an arrow produced from Jackdown's neck. A bloodcurdling scream was heard around the camp. Strikegutt emerged from his tent.   
"STRIKEGUTT!" Grgono appeared from the edge of the camp. Swinging his battleaxe left and right, he slew any creature that dared oppose him. Cold fear gripped the ferret's throat. He turned to run, but Grgono was close enough to fire an arrow. The shaft sank into Strikegutt's chest. The warlord fell to the ground. The vermin who saw this lost their confidence. By this time the rest of Grgono's army were out and fighting. One otter in particular was hacking his way through the vermin with an interesting weapon. It was like a staff with a blade at both ends. The otter wielded it with more skill than anyone else in the battle did. The fight was over within minutes. Grgono suffered heavy wounds. The healers took the great beast into a hospital tent to dress the wounds. But before they did, he spoke to the army.   
"We're going home." He said simply, and it was greeted with wild cheers.


End file.
